Artificial reed making machine



Nov. 17, 1936.

J. E. MILLETT ARTIFICIAL REED MAKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,Zhven far:

Nov. 17, 1936. J. E. MILLETT 2,061,286

ARTIFICIAL REED MAKING MACHINE 7 Filed Jan. 26, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 171067? i0)". 6% g M r NOV, 17, 1936. J E, M 2,061,286

ARTIFICIAL REED MAKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1935 4 Sheets-Shet 3 NOV. 17, 1936. J M|LLETT 2,061,286

ARTIFICIAL REED MAKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 he 2:. M

i aiented or. 17, 1936 2,061,286 I nrimcmr. REED MAKING mom John Millett, Gilman, Vt., assignor to Mlllett Corporation, Gilman, Vt., a corporation of New York Application January 26, 1935, Serial No. 3,630

19 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine'for making hat and also concave artificial reed, such as is used in braids and woven webbing for various purposes, as a substitute for and an improve 5 ment on the natural reed.

Artificial reed is made from paper and in accordance with this invention is made from a long strip or web of paper folded upon itself longitudinally to form a narrower and thicker strip, the

folded portionsbeing glued or' otherwise adhesively afiixed to each other but not to the body of the strip to form a flattened tubular reed or the folded portions are glued to each other and to the body of the strip to form a solid flat reed.

Also in accordance with the present invention the folded reed strip either in the solid or the flattened tubular form is treated to cause it to.

assume a shape that is concave in cross section so as to simulate the appearance of natural cane. Ki An object of the present invention is the provision of a machine for making artificial reed, as above described, in a continuous manner from a long strip of paper, the machine being such that it is compact and thereby occupies but little floor 2%; en ce.

A further object of the invention isthe provision of. a reed machine having winding mechanism that winds the reed upon itself into a multilayered package of such form that the package 9-9 of Fig. 7.

w is self-supporting-and thus does not need end supports or the liketo hold the convolutions in place.

A. further object of the invention is the provision of a reed making machine wherein the fold- 35 ing of the paper strip is accomplished entirely by folding rolls so constructed and disposed with respect to each other and the paper strip as to fold the marginal edge portions of the strip into the desired relation.

m I have found it desirable to define the lines of fold of the paper strip by score lines formed in the paper strip prior to the folding operation as a more uniform fold and a smoother edge of the reed is produced and it is an object of this in- 45 vention to form the score lines by the use of sharp edged circular ribs of a roll rotatable in contact with the moving paper strip, together with a strip supporting roll having grooves confronting the ribs of the scoring roll, the rolls be! ing so set, however, that the scoring ribs do not enter the grooves to any material degree.

It is also an object of the invention to fold the strip in such a way that the score lines tend to 55 spread open during the folding operation, as a smoother edge is formed by this method of fold log.

It is also an objert of the invention to perform the scoring operation upon the paper strip while 60 the strip is bent around the grooved roller so that the strip is held firmly in position to be scored accurately and uniformly.

A further object is to fold the web without twisting it.

A yet further object of the invention is gen- 5 erally to improve the construction and operation of reed making machines.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a reed making machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the web guiding and folding mechanism of Fig. 1 except that a modified construction and location of the gluing mechanism is'illustrated. 7

Fig.3 is a sectional detail taken along line 3-4 of Fig. 1 and illustrating particularly the strip gluing mechanism thereof.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken lengthwise of the gluing apparatus of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan detail of the folding mechanism.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail in' elevation of the presising and driving rolls for forming concave ree Fig. 7 is a sectional detail taken along line 'I--I of the reed winding drum.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail of the slipping connection between the drive sprocket and the driven shaft of the winding drum.

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail taken along line.

80 Fig. 10 is a sectional detail taken along line Iii-10 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the action of the scoring rolls. I

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the scored web.

Fig. 12 it a sectional detail of the first folding rolls taken along line I 2-! 2 of Fig. 5 and illustrating the upturning of the marginal portions of the web.

Fig. 13 is a perspective detail of the strip after the first folding operation.

Fig. 14 is a sectional detail taken along line i4i 4 of Fig. 5 and illustrating the fold initiating operation.

Fig. 15 is a view of a portion of the web with one of its marginal edge portions partly folded.

Fig. 16 is a sectional detail taken along line l6-l6 of Fig. 5 and illustrating the action of the press roll on the first fold.

Fig. 1'7 is a perspective detail of a portion of the web after the folding of the first marginal portion.

Fig. 18 is a sectional detail taken along line i8-"l8 of Fig. 5 and illustrating the final folding operation.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a portion of the completely folded web into reed form.

Fig. 20 is a sectional detail taken transversely of the gluing rollers to illustrate the manner of ep- 50 plying glue to the strip to form a flattened tubular reed and also a solid reed.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the flat scored strip with glue applied to one edge for forming a flattened tubular strip.

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of a concave reed.

Fig. 23 is an edge view of the rolls of Fig. 6 for forming such reed. I

Fig. 24 is a sectional. detail along line 24-24 of Fig. 6 and illustrating the action of the concaving rollers on the flat folded reed.

Fig. 25 is a sectional detail of a folding roll and its adjustable support, taken along line I4--l4 of Fig. 5. g

The artificial reed making machine here shown as embodying the present invention comprises a support which rotatably holds a roll 32 of the flat paper strip or web 34, a gluing, scoring and folding mechanism 36, which folds the flat paper Web into the form of a reed, and winding mechanism 38 that winds theglued and folded web into a self-supporting package. 7

The gluing, scoring and folding mechanism 36 includes a vertical plate 40 on the front face of which is arranged the web supporting rolls and on the back face of which is arranged the sprockets and gearing for driving the rolls. The plate 40 is of short longitudinal length and the paper strip or web is caused to make a plurality of horizontal passes in rising from the bottom to the top part of the plate, thereby to shorten the longitudinal dimension of the mechanism. The web 34 passes from the roll '32 upon an idler roll 42 that has a leaf spring 44 hearing against the web on the roll to function as a brake to hold the web taut between the succeeding rolls. The web passes from the roll 42 forwardly and slightly upwardly and about the periphery of a flanged roll 46 and thence vertically upwards and about a web-supporting scoring, roll 48. Both rolls 46 and'48 are positively driven from a driving motor 50, as will presently appear. On the top part of the web-supporting scoring roll 48 the Web passes under a cooperating scoring roll 52, the web en gaging the roll- 52 at about the point where the web'horizontally passes from the lower roll 48.

' The roll 52 is an idler roll and is supported on a pivoted bracket 54, which bracket is urged toward the roll 48 by a compression spring 56 and the position of the roll 52 with respect to the roll 48 is adjusted by a limit screw 58 upon which said spring holds said bracket. A cross-sectional view of the rolls 48 and 52 is illustrated in Fig. 10. The roll 48 is provided withside flanges 60 defining a space between them that is not materially greater than the width of the'web' so, that the web is held from transverse movement during the scoring operation and the score lines can thus be accurately positioned in the web. The cylindrical face of the idler scoring roll 52 is provided with a pair of axially-spacedradially-outstanding circumferential ribs 62, thespacing between which defines the spacing of the score lines on'the web, the ribs being spaced from the edges of the web sulficiently to form the intended fold. The driven scoring roll 48 is provided on its flat or cylindrical periphery with annular grooves 64 which confront the ribs '62 and are correspondingly shaped, the ribs 62 being V-shaped in cross section and the grooves-64 being correspondingly V-shaped. The ribs 62 can have any desired radial height that is convenient to permit the scoring operation. It is convenient to make the "height of the ribs several times the thickness of the web, as illustrated in Fig. 10. In the proper 7 thereof.

setting of the rolls the tops of the ribs '62 are about flush with the straight or cylindrical face of the roll 48, the depth of the groove 64 being about equal to the thickness of the web. The scoring rolls form the paper web with the parallel score lines 66, as illustrated in Fig. 11.

The paper web passes horizontally from the scoring rolls to the lowermost one of a flanged idler roll 68 and thence vertically upward over a flanged idler roll 10 and thence horizontally to the foldingmechanism.

In the machine as illustrated in Fig. 1, the scored sheet has glue applied to a face thereof in its pass between the rolls 68 and 10, as illustrated in Fig. 3. A glue box 12 is attached to the plate 40 and is adapted to contain a supply of liquid glue. A glue roll 74 is positively rotated partly immersed in the glue and is in contact with an upper roll 16 and transfers glue to the surface Said roll 16 is in peripheral contact with a roll 18 that is in contact with the paper web supported upon an idler roll 8D disposed between the'rolls 68 and 10. Thus glue from the glue box 72 is transferred to the web. The width andnumber of the glue rolls 18 depends upon the type of reed that it is desired to make. If the reed is desired to be of the tubular flattened form, that is to say, has its folded marginal portions attached to each other and folded down upon but free from adhesion to the middle or body portion of the strip, but one marginal portion of the strip will have glue applied thereto. Such a strip is indicated in Fig. 21, wherein a fllm of glue 82 is applied to one marginal portion only of the web. Thus the roll 18 need be no wider than one marginal portion of the web and positioned to engage that marginal portion. If however, the folded marginal portions of the web are to be aflixed to the intermediate or body portion to form a solid reed then two rolls I8 and 18a, see Fig. 20, will be employed, the roll 18a being disposed to apply glue to the other marginal portion of the web.

In'the form of the machine illustrated in Fig. 2 the gluing mechanism is disposed to apply glue to the web in its pass between the scoring rolls and the idler roll 68. The gluing mechanism includes a glue box' 12a having a positively driven gluing roll 14a therein which, due to the position of the web immediately thereabove, can directly engage the web and press it against the resiliently supported 'roll 8%.. A scraper 84 has a horizontal scraper plate 86 provided with a slot in which the gluing roll is rotatable, the slot closely conforming to the width of the roll so as to scrape off glue thatadheres to the side faces of the roll. The spacing of the plate with respect to the periphery of the roll is governed by a set screw 88,

see Fig. 2, which bears against the top of the glue box and is connected through an arm 90 and a shaft 92 with the scraper, a" tensile spring 94 serving to urge the arm and scraper for movement toward the periphery of the gluing roll. Thus the screw 88 determines the amount of glue that is deposited upon the face of the strip. A

scraper 96 is positioned to engage the periphery of the glue wheel just prior to its immersion in the glue to remove surplus partially hardened glue and foreign matter that may be picked up from the web. The glue box is heated by immersion in a water path 98 maintained hot by an electric heater I00.

The glued web passes from the upper idler roll 10 through a glue-drying warm air blast'compartment IOI in'which the adhesive is partially dried to a series of folding rolls where the marginal portions of the web are folded over each other and over the intermediate or body portion of the web. The flat, scored and glued web passes first in between upper and lower folding rolls I02, I04, see Figs. 2, 5 and 12. The lower roll I02 is provided with a peripheral groove I06 therein and the upper roll I04 is provided with a peripheral tongue I08 that forces the web into the groove I06, causing the web to bend at the score lines 66 and to upset the marginal portions 340. and 34b of the web into right angular relation with the intermediate or body portion of the web, as illustrated in Fig. 13. The tongue I08 of the roll I02 bears upon the intermediate portion of the web between the score lines 66, which portion is free from glue.

The web in the generally channel shape imparted to it by the rolls I02, I04, passes under a folding roll IIO, see also Fig. 14. Said roll is provided with a grooved peripheral portion, one side of the groove having a steep wall H2 and the other side having a less steep wall II4, said respective walls engaging .the upturned marginal portions 34a and 34b, respectively, of the web. The shape of the less steep wall H4 and the inclination of the axis of the roll I I0 with respect to the longitudinal line of the web is such as to fold the marginal portion 34a inwardly over the intermediate portion of the web so that the following flat faced roll II6 can operate on said marginal portion and fold it flatly down on the body portion of the web, as illustrated in Fig. 16, pressing the glued face of the marginal portion 34a, if said face is glued for the purpose of forming a solid reed strip, against the intermediate or body portion of the web. An upstanding guide plate H8 is located between the roll H0 and the preceding rolls I02, I04, and bears against the outer face of the upstanding portion 34a of the web to hold the web from lateral displacement in the direction of the plate, the plate being adjustable in a direction transversely of the web and secured in any set position for the purpose of positioning the web with respect to the rolls.

A guide plate I20, similar to the plate H8, is located between the rolls I I0 and I I6 and engages the side edge of the web to hold it against transverse movement in a direction of the plate. The

web with one marginal portion folded down upon the body passes under a second folding roll I22 which engages the upstanding marginal portion 34b of the web and folds it down upon the previously folded marginal portion 34a to which it is afiixed by the glue on the surface thereon. A guide plate I24, similar to the guide plates I I8 and I 20, is disposed to engage the edge of the web at the junction between the marginal portion 34b and the intermediate portion between the rolls H6 and I22 for the purpose of holding the web against movement in the direction of the.

plate.

It might be here stated that all of the folding rolls IIO, I I6 and I22 are adjustable transversely of the web and also capable of variation in their angular position with respect to the web for the purpose of adjusting them for proper folding operation.

Each of the rolls H0, H6 and I22 is similarly supported and the construction of the support for the roll H0 is illustrative of the support for the other rolls. The roll H0 is journalled on a shaft I26, see Fig. 25, which shaft is carried by a supporting block I28 and is axially movable lengthwise in said block but is held from rotation in any adjusted position by a set screw I30, the end of which is located in a key-way I32 of the shaft. The block I28 has a stem I34 that extends through the web supporting table I36 and is capable of angular adjustment therein, the block being held in any angular setting by a nut I38.

The completely folded web passes from the folding rolls to a first pair of upper and lower pressure rolls I40 and I42, respectively, and thence over an intermediate idler roll I44 and through the bite of a second pair of upper and lower pressure rolls I46 and I48, respectively. All of these rolls have flat or cylindrical web engaging faces except that where a concave reed is made the rolls I46, I48 are. replaced by the concaving rolls illustrated in Figs. 6 and 23, as will be explained later.

The sets of rolls I40, I42 and I46, I48 are positively driven. The lower rollsI42, I48 are journalled in the vertical plate 40 of the frame of the machine. The upper rolls I40, I46 are journalled in frames I50, I52 pivoted to the plate 40 and urged by tension springs I54, I56, toward the cooperating lower rolls, thereby to compress the folded web between the rolls. The pivoted frames I50, I52 are provided with screws I58 which bear against a suitable part of the plate 40 for the purpose of raising the upper rolls away from the cooperating lower rolls to permit the threading of the web therebetween. The aforesaid web driving rolls, together with the lower creasing roll 48, the glue roll and the roll 46 are positively driven from the motor 50. The motor shaft has a sprocket I60 which drives a chain I62 that passes a sprocket I64 on a shaft having fixed thereto a gear I66 that meshes with a gear I68 fixed to the shaft I10 that carries the lower roll 46. The shaft I10 also has a hand wheel I12, see Fig. 1, at the back of the plate 40 by which the mechanism can be rotated by hand for the purpose of threading the web through the machine. The shaft I10 carries a sprocket I14 which drives a chain I16, the chain passing about a sprocket I18, see Fig. 3, of the shaft I that carries the glue roll 14 or about the sprocket I18a, see Fig. 2, of the shaft I80a, that carries the glue roll 14a. The chain thence passes over a sprocket I82, fixed to a shaft I84, and driving a gear that meshes with gears I86, I88 fixed to the shafts of rolls I42, I48, thereby positively driving these rolls. The chain thence passes about a sprocket I90 fixed to the shaft I92 carrying the roll 48. The sprocket thence passes over an idler sprocket I94 carried by a shaft I86 that is adjustable horizontally in the bracket I98 so that the slack of the chain can be taken up.

For the manufacture of concave reed I98 of the form illustrated in Fig. 22, the last set of driving rolls I46, I48 are replaced by the rolls 200, 202, respectively, see Figs. 6 and 23. The lower roll 202 is provided. with a peripheral groove 204 having a shape that in cross-section corresponds with the cross-sectional shape of the concave reed. The upper roll 200 is provided with a peripherally outstanding rib 206 that is aligned with the groove 204, the spacing between the rib and the bottom of the groove being approximately equal to the thickness of the reed. The flat reed received from the first pair of pressing rolls passes between the concaving rolls and into the groove 204 and is compressed into the concave shape shown in Fig. 22 by these rolls, the reed retaining the form imparted to it since the glue. is not yet permanently set.

The formed reed is wound into a self-sustaining package by the winding mechanism 38, see Fig. I. Said winding mechanism comprises a supporting frame having arhorizontal winding shaft 208, which shaft has a sprocket 2l0 thereon, see Figs. 7 and 8, which is rotated by a chain 2l2driven by a sprocket 2|4, see.Eig. 2,-fixed to a gear 2 l6 meshing with and driven by agear 2 l8 fixed to the shaft I92 of the roll 48. The winding shaft 208 carries a winding drum that includes the end plates 220 and 222 disposed at the ends of and having a loose driving connection with a two part hub 224. The end plate 220 is fixed to a hub 226 secured to the winding shaft 208 while the other end plate has a hub 228 slidable on a sleeve 230 and can be secured in set position through the sleeve. The sleeve 230 has a tapered inner end 232 that corresponds with the tapered bore of thehub 224 so that by moving the sleeve 230 inwardly of the hub thehub- .of any one layer traversing the spaces and bearing upon two consecutive convolutions of the next lower layer. With this arrangement of .winding and the flat formation of the reed, the

wound reed is formed into a self-supporting packagejzhat retains its shape when the end plates are removed following the collapse of the hub. This is also true with respect to the concave reed. The reed is laid on the package by a traversing mechanism including a traversing arm 238 secured to the end of -a shaft 240 that is reciprocated axially by a traversing cam 242 driven through appropriate gearing from the winding shaft208.

The winding takes place at constant speed irrespective of the growth of the package but governed by the rate of delivery of reed to the winding mechanism. To this end the sprocket 2H1 on the winding, shaft is loose on said shaft and has a driving engagement therewith by means of a collar 244, see Fig. 8, fixed to said shaft on one side of the flat face of the sprocket and a friction plate 246 having a keyed but axially movable connection with said shaft and engaging the other fiat faceof the sprocket. The plate 246 is urged into pressure engagementwith the sprocket by means including springs 248. The sprocket thus has a slipping connection with the driving shaft so that it can not drive the winding drum any faster than is permitted by the speed of advance of the read.

I claim:

1. In an artificial reed making machine including a paper web holder and a web winder and wherein the web is advanced in a general horizontal direction from the holder to the winder, the combination therewith of a plurality of web treating devices located at different elevations between said holder and winder, and means to guide the paper web to pass back and forth in a series of successively elevated horizontal passes over and above the other from said web holder to said winder and in succession through said differently elevated devices, whereby to keep down the horizontal dimensions of the machine.

2. An artificial reed making machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said web treating devices inthe folded reed from the ing, means operative to guide a paper web to pass upwardly in a series of short superposed hori-' zontal passes, means for applying tension to the web in the lowermost pass, means for scoring the web in an intermediate pass, means for condition ing the Web of an intermediate pass to adhere to itself, means for folding the web in the'upperm'ost path; and means for pressing and delivering uppermost pass.

4. An artifical reed making machine compris-' ing means operative to guide a paper web to pass upwardlyin a series of zontal passesand interposed short vertical passes, means operative on the web at the beginning of a horizontal pass for scoring the web, mechanism operative on the web at a vertical pass for rendering it adhesive, and means at the uppermosthorizontal pass for folding the web.

means for advancing a paper web and means for folding marginal portions of the web to form for scoring the web to define fold lines prior to 5. In an artificial reed making machine having short superposed horioperative on the web a reed, the combination therewith of mechanism the folding of the web, said scoring mechanism Y I comprising a'web-supporting scoring roll to and from which the paper web passes and around which the paper webis bent, a cooperating scoringroll operatingon the web on said first roll at substantially the point of tangency of a web pass and said web-supporting roll, and means for maintaining the web taut on both sides of the scoring mechanism. I I

6. In an artificial reed making machine having means for advancing a'paper web and means for folding marginal portions of the web to forma reed, the combination therewith of mechanism I for scoring the web to define fold lines prior to the folding of the web, said scoring mechanism comprising a web-supporting scoring roll around which the paper is bent, and a cooperating scor-- ing roll operating on the web on said first roll, said firstroll having peripherally-outstanding web-positioning side flanges between which the web is located and also having a pair of endless scoring grooves in its periphery between said flanges, and said second roll having peripherally projecting scoring ribs confronting said grooves and means for maintaining the web taut on both sides of the scoring mechanism.

7., In an artificial reed making machine having means for advancing a paper folding marginal portions of the web to form a reed, the combination therewith of mechanism.

for scoring the web to define fold lines prior to the folding of the web, said scoring mechanism comprising a web-supporting which the paper web is bent, a cooperating scoring roll operating on the web on said first roll, said first roll having peripherally-outstanding web-positioning side flanges between, whichthe web is located and also having a pair of endless-scoring grooves in its periphery flanges, said second roll having peripherally projecting scoring ribs confronting said grooves, and

means to maintain the web under tension both while approaching and leaving said rolls.

8. -In an artificial reed making machine having means for advancing a paper web and means for folding marginal portions of the Web to form a 'reed, the combination therewith] of mechanism web and means for scoring roll, aroundv between said for scoring the web to define fold lines prior to the folding of the web, said scoring mechanism comprising a web-supporting scoring roll around which the paper web is .bent, a cooperating scoring roll operating on the web on said first roll, and means operative to maintain the web under tension both when approaching and leaving said rolls, said cooperating scoring roll being disposed to engage the paper web at substantially the point of tangency of the web with said web-supporting roll.

' v9. In an artificial reed making machine, web scoring mechanism comprising a web-supporting roll having an endless shallow scoring groove in its web-supporting periphery, a scoring roll providing a peripherally projecting scoring rib confronting said groove, and means for holding a paper web taut on said web-supporting roll and for bending the web therearound, said means being operative to maintain the web fiat on said web-supporting roll against the action of said scoring rib.

10. In an artificial reed making machine wherein both marginal portions of a paper web are folded over the intermediate body part of the web to form a reed, scoring mechanism for defining the lines of fold comprising a roll having a cylindrical web-supporting face provided with a pair of shallow and narrow grooves positioned in the cylindrical periphery of the roll to lie beneath the lines of fold only of the web, a cylindrical scoring roll cooperating with said web-supporting roll having a pair of axially spaced peripherally outstanding thin scoring ribs confronting said grooves, the radial height of said ribs being materially greater than the thickness of the paper web, and a movable resilient mount for said scoring roll.

11. In an artificial reed making machine wherein both marginal portions of a paper web are folded over the intermediate body part of the web to form a reed, folding mechanism comprising a series of rollers disposed in successive order beside the path of advance of the web and opera tive in succession on the web, a first roller being positioned to act upon the flat web to up-turn the marginal portions thereof with respect to the intermediate body part of the web, a second roller being positioned to engage and to fold one upturned margin over the body part, and a third roller being positioned to engage and to fold the remaining upturned margin over the body part of the web.

12. In an artificial reed making machine wherein both marginal portions of a paper web are folded over the intermediate body part of the web to form a reed, folding mechanism comprising a series of rollers disposed in successive order beside the path of advance of the web and operative in succession on the web, a first roller being positioned to act upon the fiat web to upturn the marginal portions thereof with respect to the intermediate body part of the web, a second roller being positioned to engage and to fold one upturned margin over the body part, and a third roller being positioned to engage and to fold the remaining upturned margin over the body part of the web, and pressing rolls operative on the folded web to press it into a reed.

13. In an artificial reed making machine wherein both marginal portions of a paper web are folded over the intermediate body part of the web to form a reed, folding mechanism comprising coacting rollers operative upon the fiat web to upturn themarginal portions of the web, a single roller operative to fold one upturned margin inwardly over the body, and a further single roller operative to fold the remaining upturned margin toward the other folded margin and over the body of the web.

14. In an artificial reed making machine wherein both marginal portions of a paper web are folded over the intermediate body part of the webto form a reed, folding mechanism comprising coacting rollers operative upon the fiat web to upturn the marginal portion of the web, a roller operative to fold one upturned margin in wardly over the body, a further roll operative to fold the remaining upturned margin toward the other folded margin and over the body of the web, and guide plates located between certain of said rollers and engageable with the edges of the partly folded web to guide its movements, between said rollers.

15. In an artificial reed making machine wherein both marginal portions of a paper web are folded over the intermediate body part of the web to form a reed, folding mechanism comprising coaoting tongue and groove rollers operative upon the fiat web to upturn the marginal portions of the web, a cylindrically-faced roller operative to fold one upturned margin over the intermediate body part of the web, and a second cylindrically-faced roller operative to fold the other upturned margin inwardly toward the previously folded margin and toward the body part of the web, and means supporting certain of said rollers for adjustment transverselyof the web and also angularly with respect thereto.

16. In an artificial reed machine, folding mechanism comprising means for advancing a paper web in a given plane and for maintaining the intermediate part of that web in said plane, means operative upon the intermediate part of the web for deflecting the marginal portions only of the paper web out of said plane and for fold-' ing the marginal portions upon the intermediate part of the web.

17. In an artificial reed machine, folding mechanism comprising means for advancing a paper web in a straight line in a given plane, means for turning one marginal portion of the web out of the plane of the intermediate part of the web and for folding it down upon said intermediate part, means for turning the other marginal portion of the web out of the plane of said intermediate part and for folding it over said intermediate part, and means operative to maintain said intermediate part in a predetermined plane during said folding operations.

18. An artificial reed making machine comprising means for advancing a paper web, means for rendering the web adhesive, means for folding the web longitudinally, means for pressing the folded web fiat, and means for concaving the flat folded pressed web.

19. An artificial reed making machine comprising means for advancing a paper web, means for forminga pair of parallel fold-defining score lines longitudinally of the web, means for rendering the scored web adhesive, means for folding the marginal portions of the web one upon the other over the body portion of the web, means compressing the folded web to form a fiat web, and means for concaving the flat folded web.

JOHN E. MDLETT. 

